KNIVES OUT
US, 2019, 130 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, La Keith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martel, Riki Lindholme, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz, K. Callan, M. Emmett Walsh, Joseph Gordon- Levitt.
Directed by Rian Johnson.
Of course everybody will say Agatha Christie. And so, here is her name – an acknowledgement of her books being the archetypes of popular 20th century whodunnits (enhanced by the vast number of film and television versions) and her continuing influence in the 21st-century.
So, there will be a death, an alleged suicide, questions of foul play. And we are shown this at the beginning of the film, Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thromby, dead after a party for his 85th birthday. Fortunately, for us, there are quite a number of flashbacks so Christopher Plummer gets the opportunity to create his character, indicating various motives for his relatives wanting his death. He is a famous crime writer and his books are bestsellers.
While detectives come to investigate the death, an unusual private detective also turns up, hired, paid in cash anonymously. He is Benoit Blanc, a gentleman from the American south, played by Daniel Craig, southern accent and all.
And so, he interviews the relatives, giving us all an opportunity to get our minds working, and suspicions aroused, wondering if the death was suicide or murder. And, as usual, the suspects are rather unpleasant, the murdered man’s haughty self-made daughter (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her smiling yet fickle husband (Don Johnson) and their arrogant son (Chris Evans). The murdered man also had a son (Michael Shannon in a rather subdued role), his wife and young son. Rounding out the suspects is a daughter-in-law and her daughter (Toni Collette and Katherine Langford) with money problems for education.
Continually present and with more of a back story is the caregiver, Marta (Ana de Armas). Very early in the piece, with some complexity in the events concerning the murdered man, we realise that Marta is not guilty but has some worrying details which she conceals (although the writer gives her a psychosomatic illness – that she actually vomits when she doesn’t tell the truth!, Which happens on several occasions).
And, of course, there is the heightened melodrama of the reading of the will!
Twists and turns, eccentric investigation, another murder. For audiences who are automatically suspicious in confronting whodunnits, the villain may not be too hard to spot. Probably the best question towards the end of the film is howdunnit.
Writer-director, Rian Johnson, made a number of small dramas including Brick and Looper, but then moved on to writing and directing Star Wars, Episode VIII, the Last Jedi. There are also prospects for him to write further Star Wars episodes.
Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries are not profound explorations of human nature – though the explanations of human nature, evil and malice are to the fore. And, this is what Knives Out does as well.
1. The popularity of the whodunnit? Old style and Agatha Christie? New style and Agatha Christie?
2. The Massachusetts setting, the mansion, other homes, city offices, roads, the interiors of the mansion? The musical score?
3. The characters, the introductions with names, each has a suspect, the development of motives?
4. The party, Harlan and his 85th birthday, all the relatives coming, the events over the night, comings and goings, the reconstruction, Ransom and his leaving, the discussions, the boy in the toilet, online, Marta and her presence, the carer? Her going upstairs, the game with Harlan, the crash, the medication, the mix-up? The collapse, the 911 phone call or not? Harlan’s plot to save Marta blame, her getting out, climbing, the car, the return, seen by the grandmother? Harlan slitting his throat?
5. Blanc, Daniel Craig, his southern accent, his style, coming with the two police investigators, the interrogations? Meeting all the characters, suspects? The issue of Harlan and suicide or foul play? The theories? His being hired, anonymous, the money? The discussions with Marta, relying on her, the reaction of the others? The mystery of the case, a doughnut within a doughnut – and the revelation that he had seen the spot of blood on Marta’s shoe?
6. Marta and her role, caregiver, her mother illegal in the country, the threats? With Harlan, the discussions with him, her knowing the family secrets? Her standing by the party? Upstairs, watching and episode of Murder She Wrote? Her not being allowed to the funeral? The further interrogations? The discussions with Meg, the stash of drugs? Her wanting to tell the truth, with Ransom, explanations, confession, going to the reading of the will, everything left to her, her reaction? The threats to her? The family shock? The different ways in which they tried to put pressure on Marta? Her going to get the autopsy report, the poison, Fran, discovering the body, her blackmail, collapse, Marta saving her? Vindication at the end?
7. Harlan, his success as a writer, murder mysteries, plots, clues? Issues of money? His will, cutting everyone off? The flashbacks? His discussions with each and his reasons? Relying on Marta, his death, thinking he was poisoned?
8. Linda and Richard, hard, business, Ransom as their son, Richard and the revelation of his affair, his reactions, the irony of the invisible writing and Linda reading it?
9. Walt, weak, his wife, son, inheriting the company, seen as a loser?
10. Joni, the sister-in-law, her comments and products? Meg and the education, siphoning off the money?
11. Fran, discovering the body, the later blackmail, her death?
12. Ransom, his setting up the situation, overheard, changing the medicine, disappearing? His return, the wheel, cavalier, with Marta, supporting her, the setup and the threats to her? His arrest?
13. The final scene, Marta on the balcony, the others wondering about their money? The future?
